multifamily

adjective

mul·​ti·​fam·​i·​ly ˌməl-tē-ˈfam-lē 

-ˌtī-, 

-ˈfa-mə-lē

: involving or common to more than one family

a multifamily home

In contrast to single-family housing, where residents typically pay directly based on the amount of water used, there are several models for billing multifamily residents …

—Elizabeth A. Wentz et al.

Examples of multifamily in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

On the corner of Blue Mound Road, a 55-acre development is slated to open in 2027 with more than 800 multifamily residential units. —Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2026

Now there are more than 1,300 multifamily housing units in the district, with 3,400 more proposed. —Sacbee.com, 9 Apr. 2026

Last fall, Littleton voters passed a measure that better protects single-family-home neighborhoods from multifamily housing projects. —John Aguilar, Denver Post, 8 Apr. 2026

Alongside its plan to develop thousands of new apartments across Chicagoland, Canadian multifamily developer Onni Group also decided to jump into downtown office renovation. —Brian J. Rogal, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for multifamily

• family
• nonfamily
• stepfamily
• subfamily